When Website Analytics Lie: Sometimes, They Don’t

We’ve been looking at the ways that your firm’s website traffic report can mislead you: It can hide good news or it can reflect market forces outside of your control. But it can also tell the truth – that you have a problem. There are simply times when your traffic and your business might be lagging. After you consider all the possible reasons why, it may be clear that your website is not performing and a change is needed.

If you so decide, it’s best to move carefully and deliberately. Quick changes in order to boost site traffic rarely increase your business. Instead, consider these strategies from a new white paper from FindLaw:

Identify your goals. Clearly articulating and prioritizing your business goals will help guide you when addressing poor site performance. If you’re looking to quickly develop new clients, for instance, lead generation would be one of your top goals.

Determine your KPIs. Your firm’s key performance indicators (KPIs) will likely include inbound calls and qualified emails. If you want to build awareness of your firm’s “brand,” you can see how many people are directed to your website through Facebook or LinkedIn. But beware, high site-visit numbers and search-result rankings are flattering, but they don’t always translate into new business.

Take stock of your strategy. Examine what outside factors might be affecting your KPIs. For example, is your website traffic declining because a specific referral source has dried up? That suggests you’re putting too many of your marketing eggs in one basket. If so, consider this:

Diversify your marketing portfolio. Potential clients should be able to find you anywhere on the web – not just through your website but also via search engine results pages, online directories, social media and basic business listings. Use all the online channels you can, then focus on those that give you the best results.

Here’s the grand takeaway from this series of posts: Increasing your website’s visibility is essential, but not for its own sake. Your online marketing’s chief goal is to earn new clients. That’s the true bottom line.

Sean Sands

Sean currently works in FindLaw's Performance Organization in the area of web content where he provides guidance on strategies, tactics and techniques designed to improve client branding, onsite SEO, site engagement and site conversion. Prior to joining FindLaw, Sean ran his own design and marketing firm focusing on delivering print and digital marketing solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses.